I am happy that we are playing how we are playing in away matches to be honest. Siggy Rose on Left, Townsend and Walker on the Right has been pretty much working. (We have been winning away games more than in recent history.) I only wish that the home match style could be somewhere between what we currently do and what Harry would have had us do in his time. Wingers! Not inverted. Townsend on the left. Lennon on the right. Walker RB and Rose LB. Sandro and Paulinho as CM pair. Eriksen AM and Soldado or Adebayor at CF. (Yep. I said it. Adebayor.) Do our wingers have to be inverted all of the time? Can there not be two different approaches?
I knew that would be mentioned about porto but it's no different from a striker who looks awesome in a crap league and then when he moves to a better league looks a completely different player.
Wasn't Ramos famous for his attacking teams in the Europa league? I'll rather judge Avb on his teams in tough domestic leagues and so far all he has shown is he's a defensive and boring manager. Edit.. AVB used a 433 formation at porto. ............................ Holding mid........................ ............ Attacking mid............. Attacking mid Right winger.......................................... left winger .................................... Striker His two wingers where Hulk and valera, both used width and he had two attacking mids that also helped them win the ball high up the pitch. If Avb was an attacking coach, why hasn't he tried to repeat that formula? Instead he likes the 4231, lack of width and narrow play. That tells me he's happy in a crap league playing a more open formation but in the premier league where it's harder to manage, he reverts to a defensive line up.
This. And its not like he is managing Norwich either, he is managing a decent team who are challenging for top 4 who have plenty of attacking talent. Last season, Bale kind of glossed over this because he was so individually awesome, but this season, it is starting to show. The results may be there, but the performances are not. And as a Chelsea fan, I know exactly what that feels like, having experienced the same thing with AVB himself, then Rafa.
It was Bale at Spurs and a combination of Mata/Ramires/Sturridge at Chelsea. For what it's worth any team can be attacking in the Europa League, Spurs are way above that level just as Chelsea were last season. AVB's big problem is he lacks a plan B and doesn't really make subs that have a positive impact on the game, but he is still a developing manager and hopefully (for Spurs) this is something he will learn there and he has a better squad to work with than he did last year so the onus is on him. Some of the criticism aimed at AVB is a tad harsh as I remember us playing some fabulous counter attacking football under him. Spurs fans saw this themselves when AVB helped them beat United at Old Trafford. The big problem AVB has and always has had is getting results at home in games where he's expected to win and the opposition are too well organised. In games where Spurs have not been favourites to win (Chelsea away and City at home last season) he has delivered results albeit not playing great football. Time to judge AVB is this time next year though, he's still bedding in new players and there's lots to be done on the training ground.
The problem with Praising Avb for counter attacking football is that he doesn't set the team up to play on the counter. What happened last year was his high line tactic failed often to create chances, the opposition then got a foot hold in the game and because we was naturally a counter attacking team then the players came into their own when breaking away. That performance last year away to Utd for 45 mins was a one off, plus Utd absolutely hammered us 2nd half, Avb didn't have a clue on how to react and in the end we was lucky So DL I know we can be harsh on Avb but that's because he is a dull uninspiring manager who doesn't have the personality to get fans on his side.
The difference between a championship challenging team and a mid-table one is actually quite small but to get the slightly better players costs big bucks that we can't afford. The Rednapp way is exciting for the fans but is doomed to failure because freeing up the players might well make them play at their best but this still leaves us around fifth as four other teams have better players. AVB is trying to use a scientific approach to bridge the gap. This is bound to be a bit boring while the players get used to it but I'm expecting us to get more attacking as we gain confidence
What a huge improvement hbic, I must tip my hat to you...thats mildly amusing! Sadly a passage from Russell Grant contains more accuracy, but never mind. I'll try one last time Captain Tangent. One manager can sign 5 players (I'd forgot Balotelli and Milner in one list. Also 5+5=10) 2 seasons running, whilst improving, not a third of the way through the season bleating for 'more time'. The players were what they needed for their intended new system. That is not a view, it is what has happened. Our manager, has bought as many players and a third of the way in, doesn't seem to know what to do with them all. That is how it is, it is not wrong, only you are, now you toddle off and get over that.
Is handing post-it - notes to substitutes coming on part of AVB's scientific way, what happens if one of the players drops the note and they blow away, does Avb have a meltdown.
True but we was playing in the champions league and Levy was penny pinching his way to building a squad for both domestic and European.
"True but we was playing in the champions league and Levy was penny pinching his way to building a squad for both domestic and European." And in 2011-12 Arry effectively dived out of the Europa, which made the season very much like 2009-10 (when he also finished 4th) .
I think what AVB is trying to do is instill a winning mentality into the team, and it looks as though it is working. Playing in Europe needs to be a habit, and under Harry it wasn't. It was either a waste of time, or the be all and end all. Neither of which is the right approach. All other big teams take Europe in there stride, CL or Europa. Take Liverpool, in the Uefa cup they went and won it (a well as the FA cup and the CC) I certainly would be very happy with us winning those trophies, so if the Europa is achievable that is far more likely to have a lasting long term effect of a) making us attractive to players b) giving us a winning mentality Harry has never really been all that successful in his career, especially when up against the likes of Wenger, Mourinho or Mancini so it's hard to argue that his way was better than there's. Ppl can pine for him all they want, but the truth is AVB is doing a better job of accumulating points than harry did - whilst I would like some of the excitement back, i will happily trade in game excitement for the happiness of winning a trophy, which I feel is far more likely under AVB.
If new WHL is going NFL, then so should the coaching. Pay cut for AVB, and new job of defensive coach. Arry back on reduced pay as offensive coach.
I would love that! On one/two conditions... Neither AVB nor Harry are allowed to take press conferences or give interviews. Harry because he can't keep his mouth shut, AVB because he is so monotone and boring. So we also get ourselves someone charismatic and intelligent to take them for us...
